Food Network Mag Publishes Pic of Bobby Deen w/... Girlfriend?

Does Bobby Deen, the almost 40-year-old bachelor son of Paula Deen, have a girlfriend... or is he perhaps intersted in having some other kind of "friend?" (The "roommate/best same sex friend who lives next door and always goes on vacation together/gym teacher" kind of friend.)

The debate has been going on since my first post about it back in 2006.

Bobby himself didn't really help things when in 2007 he told Extra that his idea of a perfect date would be: "We'd have dinner, dessert, a glass of wine and she'd be gone... it'd be perfect."

Ummm... okay.

Oh, and there was that mysterious blurred out photo that showed up in a TV special and appeared to be hiding Bobby and another male.

So, even though I had heard some rumblings about someone he was "dating" last year, I was surprised to see this pic below in the April issue of Food Network Magazine, clearing identifying the woman next to Bobby as "his girlfriend Katy":


I guess that's official, then...even though the pic was taken back in Oct. 2009 at the New York City Wine & Food Festival.

Are you surprised to see Bobby with a girlfriend kind of publicly... and happy about it? Or are you still questioning?

Food Network Magazine One of the Top 100 Best-Selling American Magazines

People like reading about food and food stars, apparently!

According to Hearst Magazines, publisher of Food Network Magazine, the new title dedicated to the food and stars at the cable channel, has achieved a paid circulation rate of 900,000 and will rise above 1.1 million soon, making it one of the top 100 best-selling American magazines.


I've been able to check out all of the issues thus far and think they're put together very nicely... but like I said in my first review, despite the fact that I subscribe to some magazines, I've discovered I'm just not that much of a magazine person. I have issues of Newsweek and Details and Entertainment Weekly and Food & Wine just cluttering up my apartment, not to mention all of those loose Washington Post sections that somehow pile up faster than I can keep up. And when am I supposed to be actually watching Food Network during all of this?! ;-)

But anyway, good for the mag. Glad something appears to be working out in this difficult time for publishing.

... just wondering if Aunt Sandy's mag will make the cut.

Food Network Addict Review: Food Network Magazine

The premiere issue of Food Network Magazine hits newsstands today, but I had a chance to check it out a few days in advance. The 148-page first edition will serve as a test issue, with a second test issue to be released in January 2009. Hearst Magazines has slated five subsequent issues in 2009.

While committing to seven issues might seem slim, the odds are actually in the companies' (both Hearst's and Food Net's) favor; food magazines are some of the only titles actually improving their sales right now. When the economy slows, people tend to eat in more and need tips on what to cook.

It's not a guaranteed success, though. Hearst Magazines is dealing with the tough realities of publishing (the company had to fold CosmoGirl last week) and unlike Food Network the cable station where it stands alone as the only 24-7 food channel, Food Network Magazine will enter the market with several high-profile direct competitors--two titles being helmed by Food Network stars.

And while the network has already proved it's "way more than cooking," the magazine has a tougher road ahead. It needs to prove it's way more than the normal food mag.

Here's what I think:

The stars
The premiere issue utilizes the network's star power to its advantage. ("Cook Like A Star!" the cover calls out). Some of the features include a behind-the-scenes look at Iron Chef America, a profile of Tyler Florence's new kitchen in California, Q&A articles with Ellie Krieger and Ted Allen, "Book Reports" on all of the Food Net stars' cookbooks coming out, and recipe features showcasing Ina Garten and Paula Deen.

It covers a LOT of stars--so many that I fear the subsequent issues will have less to utilize. And while it's definitely possible to keep new and fresh content coming from a relatively unchanging cast of characters (I feel like I've done that pretty well these past few years), it's not easy. I'm eager to see if the next issue will feature as much editorial devoted to the stars or if it was the intent to supersaturate the reader with content like this just to lure them in. We shall see.

The food
As some other reviewers have noted, the recipe index that lists both the name of the dish and a thumbnail photo, divided by categories like appetizers and snacks, soups and stews, meat and poultry, sides, etc., is a great feature. Some food mags seem overwhelming in their number of recipes, but the guide really helps you zero in on what you're hungry for. The food pages themselves are further categorized by weeknight vs. weekend cooking--another smart choice.

Overall
I'm not a food magazine expert, but after reading through it a few times I feel like Food Network Magazine doesn't give us anything new--nothing we haven't seen before. And even though it has the added advantage of being directly connected to a stream of profitable content (i.e.- the stars), it really needs to prove that its content is valid on its own and not just because Tyler Florence's or Paula Deen's name is attached. I need to feel like I'm truly getting an added benefit from buying this magazine as opposed to just tuning in (for "free") to Food Network.

But if Paula and Rachael can be successful in the food magazine biz, a magazine dedicated to the whole network should have a pretty good shot. So will you be subscribing?